Tumble and Fall

Danni laughed all the way to Ryan’s truck, scooting into the middle seat as Ryan got in behind the wheel. “Sorry; I don’t mean to laugh. It is kind of funny though.”

“Justin makes it sound like I’ve never had sex,” Ryan complained.

“Have you?”

He stared at her incredulously. “Had sex?” Danni nodded. “Of course I’ve had sex.”

“Just checking.”

“Have you?”

“Sure, I’ve had sex.”

“How....how many?”

“Three. Tim, he was the high school boyfriend but we didn't hook up until senior year, and then Ben, he was the guy I was dating with the fiancé, and right after we broke up, I got crazy drunk and went home with some guy at a bar. He looked like a Schenn brother and I had a moment of weakness."

"Was he a Schenn?"

"Seth was most definitely not a Schenn. What about you?”

“Three.”

“Three?! I thought you had the same girlfriend for four years.”

“I did but we had some breaks. One time Hallsy left me alone with this girl, right after I was drafted. She seemed like she expected it so I just went along with it. One is obviously Bre and the other was some girl in Minnesota. I don’t remember her name.”

“Wait....you have a hook up, a one night stand, and you don’t remember her name? That is awesome!”

“You think that’s awesome?”

“Hell yeah. That is a total horndog boy kind of thing to do. Total bucket list item.”

“I never thought of it like that.”

“Seth was my one night stand. I don’t know...maybe I’m weird but I don’t enjoy the whole hook up, one night stand thing. I want to be with someone and it mean something. I don’t want to just be a notch in someone’s belt.”

Ryan nodded. “I don’t think you’re a notch.”

“I know.” He put an arm around her as he drove. “So what are we crossing off your list?”

“You’ll see.” He drove out of town and pulled into the parking lot of a sporting good store. “Wait here.” Danni nodded and Ryan ran inside, tugging his hat low on his head. He came back ten minutes later, sticking a bag in the back. He continued his drive and fifteen minutes later, he pulled into the players lot at Rexall. He grabbed the bag from the back and then Danni’s hand as she slid out behind him.

“What are we doing?” Danni asked they walked inside.

“You’ll see,” Ryan repeated.

“Ryan!” she protested with a pout. Ryan laughed and pulled her along with him. He waved to some people before walking into the locker room.

“Hey, Joey!” Ryan said brightly, high fiving the man pushing a laundry cart through the room.

“Hey, Nuge!” He replied. “What are you doing here?”

“I was gonna take my girl out for a little skate. Think that will be all right?”

“I’ll let Jeff know so he can tell the building people.”

“Thanks, Joey! Hey, this is Danni by the way.” Danni smiled and shook his hand.

“It's nice to meet you, Joey,” she said.

“Very nice to meet you too,” he grinned. “See ya!” He called out as he left the room.

“I don’t have skates,” Danni pointed out to Ryan.

“Took care of that,” he replied, steering her towards his locker stall. She sat down and Ryan kneeled in front of her, pulling her shoes off and then pulling a pair of skates out of the bag from the sporting goods store.

“Ryan!” she gasped.

“Don’t say I shouldn't have. I wanted to.” She frowned and Ryan chuckled at her. He lifted one foot, then the other, tying each skate on. “Stand up,” he instructed. “How do they feel? Too tight?”

“No, they feel good.”

“Have you skated before?”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to show me up?”

“Doubtful.” He grinned and sat down to pull on his own skates. Danni wandered around the room while she waited.

“Do you love this? Being a hockey player I mean.”

“Yeah, it makes me pretty happy.”

“Do you like being an Oiler?”

“I love it.” He tied his skates and stood up. “Ready?” Danni nodded and grasped Ryan’s hand as they made their way down the hall towards the ice.

“Hello, Ryan; what are you doing here?” the male voice asked from behind them. Ryan turned and Danni stepped nervously behind him.

“Hey coach. I wanted to show my girlfriend the arena, take her skating before my surgery.”

He nodded. “Be careful.”

“Yes sir. This is Danni Reid.” He tugged Danni beside him.

“It’s nice to meet you, Danni. Keep this one in line for me?”

“Yes sir,” Danni replied shyly. He smiled at her.

“You can call me Ralph, Danni.”

“Yes sir, Ralph.” He chuckled.

“You two have fun,” he said before continuing towards his office. Ryan continued to the ice and stepped out, Danni following him. They held hands and skated around the rink in silence. After several minutes, the loudspeakers crackled to life and music began to play.

“Did you?” Danni asked.

“Not me. If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Joey. He’s a romantic.”

“I’ll thank him later.”

“I don’t get any thanks for taking you ice skating?”

“If you help me cross something off my bucket list you will earn my thanks.”

“Name it.”

“Kiss me at center ice.” Ryan grinned and picked Danni up, hooking her legs around his waist. Danni laughed as he moved speedily up the ice with ease. Danni shrieked, holding him tightly as he jerked to a stop.

“I’m not going to drop you, you know.”

“I know but crap! It just sort of happened.”

“So how do we do this?”

“First you need to put me down.”

“I like you here.”

“People could be watching.”

“People could be watching when I kiss you.”

Danni blushed. “Will you put me down, please?”

Ryan loosened his hold around her waist and Danni unhooked her legs from around his back, sliding down his body until her skates hit the ice. Ryan held her against him and Danni leaned up to him, covering his lips with hers in a sweet and tender kiss. Danni looped her arms around his neck and he held her tighter as they were serenaded by Boyz II Men over the PA system.

“This is our song,” Danni said quietly as they broke apart. “Two for one on the bucket list. Kiss at center ice, have a song with someone.”

“I like having a song with you.”

“You’re so sweet. I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone like you Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.” She smiled at him and took his hand, setting back off around the ice.

“Do you have siblings?” Danni asked him.

“One brother. You?”

“One brother. Older or younger?”

“Older.”

“Same.”

“If you tell me his name is Adam I will not believe you.”

“It’s Brian actually. Favorite color?”

“Navy blue and orange.” He winked at her.

She shook her head. “Red.”

“Not orange?”

“Nope, not orange.”

“Favorite food?” Ryan asked.

“Chicken with cashew nuts. I love chinese. You?”

“Something italian, chicken parm I guess.”

“That’s funny; guess what I was planning to make for dinner.”

“Really? You make chicken parm?”

“I do and it's super easy, especially since I’m feeding four of you plus me.”

“So dinner is not a date then.”

“Nope. Dinner with friends. Is this a date?”

“This is part one of date three. Part two is later.”

“I look forward to that.”

“Good.” They skated for an hour before they were called off the ice. They returned to the locker room and took off their skates. Ryan hung his skates in his stall and he carried Danni’s to his truck. They drove back to his condo and Danni went straight to work in the kitchen on dinner and Ryan went to his room to shower and change.

“Where did you two go?” Justin asked, taking a seat at the island and watching Danni work.

“Skating.”

“He took you to the arena, didn't he?” Danni nodded. “He kiss you at center ice too?”

“Are you jealous that you didn't get to kiss him?”

“Yes, that is exactly it.”

“It was my suggestion. Another one for the bucket list.”

“What is it with you two and the bucket list?”

“Just a running joke now.”

“That’s it? You’re not going to explain it?”

“Did he tell you anything about when we met?”

“He said you made him dine and dash.”

Danni grinned. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Sure.”

“He didn't dine and dash. I paid, he just doesn't know it. I snuck away and I'm pretty sure he thinks I went to the bathroom but I really found the waiter, paid, went back to the table, finished my dessert and then dragged him out of the restaurant.”

Justin laughed, one that rolled out of him from his belly as he slumped over the island, his shoulders shaking. “Seriously? He is freaking out about having not paid and he has no idea you actually paid? That is freaking genius!”

“Here’s the thing, he looked absolutely miserable when I saw him. And I don't even know why I walked over and invited myself to sit with him but he looked so sad, like he needed a friend and my feet had a mind of their own. Once I sat down, I realized who he was but I was already committed so I went with it. So I made him do things that night that I didn't figure he’d ever done. We did a dine and dash. We played putt-putt. We went to a park after dark and swung on the swings like five year olds. I'm pretty sure he thought we'd get arrested for that. I made him eat junk food in bed and stay up late watching movies. Yesterday I may have suggested something else that he made happen.”

“Oh really? What?”

“Make out in a stairwell.”

“You made out in a stairwell at the arena?!”

“I merely suggested it. Ryan told me where to meet him. It was very private too. I had to go through a security guy to even get past the door.”

“Ah, the south stairwell. It leads downstairs so unless there is an emergency, you have to be on a list to get by.”

“That explains so much. We almost got caught once; I thought he might croak.”

“Now that sounds like Nuge.”

“I wore his jersey though; I think he liked that.”

“Only thing better would be sex with a girl in your jersey.”

“So predictable.”

“I bet Nuge didn't tell you that.”

“Then you’d be wrong.”

“He did not.”

“He did, over a text.”

“Let me see.”

“You can’t tell him I showed you.”

“Cross my heart, hope to die, blah, blah, blah.” Danni smiled and grabbed her phone, sliding it unlocked and scrolling to her conversation with Ryan the night before. She handed it to Justin and he read through.

“I wish I had met you first. Do you want to break Ryan’s heart?”

“Do you want me to break you face?” she asked sweetly.

“Not really.” He tapped away at her screen and on the counter, his phone trilled. “I saved my number in your phone, in case you get arrested in the future.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Okay, tell me more about the bucket list. What did we get to today?”

“First of all, we make it up as we go.”

“Then what did you make up for today?”

“Today we kissed at center ice and...”

“And?” he prodded.

Danni sighed. “You can’t laugh.”

“I promise not to laugh.”

“We’re pretty sure Joey hooked up like Pandora or something because about ten minutes after we started skating, music came on the PA.”

“You met Joey?” Justin interrupted.

“Yes, him and your coach.”

“Oooh, you met coach? What was that like?”

“He said I had to keep Ryan in line.”

Justin chuckled. “Okay, go on.”

“So there was nothing but like sappy and cute love songs playing in the arena and when we kissed, there was a song playing and I....I decided that it was our song.” Danni looked down, busying herself with chopping vegetables for a salad.

“What song?” Justin asked seriously.

“You really want to know?”

“Yes, I really want to know. Look, I know that Bre hurt Ryan and I thought it’d take a while for him to smile again and get over it. Turns out I was wrong. He just needed to meet you.”

“Aww, Schultzy! You’re a softie!”

“Shut up. Tell me.”

“It was In the Still of the Night, the Boyz to Men version.”

“Good song choice.”

“Thanks. Or I guess I should thank Joey.”

“So what now?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you're not from here. You’re just passing through, right? You live in Philly?”

“I did live in Philly and I was just passing through but...”

“But?”

“After I left, the morning after that first night, I stopped in at this coffee shop and I got this feeling in my gut to look at the paper so I did. There was a want ad for teachers. That’s what I went to school for so I called and had an interview yesterday. They offered me a job. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna take it.”

“You’re definitely taking it. Are you kidding me? Think of how happy you’ll make me.”

Danni laughed. “Always about you, isn’t it?

“I suppose it’d make Ryan pretty happy too.”

“What would make Ryan pretty happy?” he asked as he took a seat beside Justin as Danni slid the lightly breaded chicken into the oven.

“Danni just told me about her job offer. Hey, you can just work here even though you're not Canadian?”

“I have dual citizenship.”

“You do?”

“My dad is from Calgary. I was born in the states so I have citizenship in both countries.”

“Well that's convenient.”

“It is, isn't it?”

“So you’re gonna take the job, right?”

“I don’t know, maybe?” She exchanged a look with Ryan. “I don’t want this to get all muddled by us moving too fast. It’s bad enough I’ve basically moved in here. I’ve only known you for three days.”

“I’ll pay for you to stay in a hotel if that makes you more comfortable,” Justin offered. “I just want you to move here. Now that I’ve met you, I don't want you to leave. You’re sort of a cool chick.”

“Thanks, Justin.”

“And I like the way Ryan smiles at you. He’s in love; you can't break his heart.”

“He’s not in love.”

“He might be.”

“Three days,” Danni reminded him.

“Doesn’t matter. Some people fall in love with one look in a nanosecond. Three days is okay. Hard truth: you like Ryan, Ryan likes you. You’re his girlfriend. He has yet to correct anyone who has called you that so you two obviously talked about that and agreed that you’re his girlfriend. Am I right?”

“Why are you two talking like I’m not even in the room?” Ryan asked. “We talked about it; she’s my girlfriend.”

“Good,” Justin said. “Now that we have established that, do you want to stay?”

“Yes,” Danni answered.

“Great! It’s all settled then. You’re taking the job. You’re either staying with us until you find a place or I will put you up in a hotel. I’d prefer if you stayed here, at least until we get back to take care of Ryan. I don’t think he should be alone. I’m certain he’ll be a big old baby and will need constant supervision after surgery.”

“I’m not a baby,” Ryan protested.

“You’re the youngest, that makes you the baby,” Justin replied. “Simple as that.” Danni giggled.

“I’ll stay until you get back,” Danni told him. “After that I gotta find someplace.”

“I’m glad we are all in agreement then. Let’s celebrate. We have beer and beer.”